Kerala's LGBT community shows first signs of coming out; but people largely hostile

A largely invisible community is showing the first signs of coming out in the open in an ultra-conservative society.

Jijo Kuriakose decided to reveal to his parents that he was gay when they started looking for a bride for him. Most parents in India would be devastated by the news. Fortuitously for Kuriakose, his parents — educated and progressive at that — understood, allowing their son to lead the life he wanted.

Kuriakose's story is an exception. In Kerala, people belonging to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have so far been "invisible".

Few have come out in the open because it typically leads to long bouts of stress. Kerala maybe a literate state, but here is what usually happens to LGBT members. Family members will first take them to a psychiatrist or file a police complaint against friends. Staying invisible is a better option under these circumstances.

Even so, a recent LGBT rally held in Kochi attracted a large number of people. "LGBT members from all parts of the state came and took part in the rally," said Sarath Cheloor, executive director, Sahayatrika, an organization that has been fighting for lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights for the past 12 years.

Most of the participants did not use a mask. The parade also earned the support of well-known people from different walks of life and representatives of a large number of organizations.

Wall of Conservatism

Kerala's high literacy levels and social indices come to naught against conservatism. The state has actually been quite hostile to the LGBT community, which according to Civic Chandran, writer and activist "is the result of the Victorian sense of morality that treats sex as sin".

Chandran, who has been supporting the movement, said the Kochi rally might be a turning point in the fight for LGBT rights. Not only did the number of participants double but several people from outside the LGBT community came to support them.

It is to address the problems of LGBT community that an organization called Queer Pride Keralam was formed in 2010. The body has held a rally every year since then. "It is the first time that we are organizing it in Kochi," said Cheloor. "The MLA and district collector had to intervene to get a venue for us."

If the earlier rallies were more of a celebration of the freedom that they got through legal battles, the one in Kochi was a protest rally, according to the organizers. The Supreme Court ruling that recriminalized homosexuality has been a big setback for LGBTs.

Writer and activist Sara Joseph said the society should try to see the problems faced by those who are trying to address the question of sexuality. "They might be a minority but they exist. And their problems are real. The legal system should see their problems more sympathetically", she added.

Cheloor said Queer Pride Keralam was launched as a political organization to support the LGBT community. The only option before the LGBT community is to strengthen their movement and emerge as a political force. This will help the community members to establish their right and win more freedom in their own states, he said.

Gender Insensitivity

Almost everyone agrees that the worst affected are members of the transgender community. "In all other states we can find the transgender community members moving together as a group. But in Kerala, we do not see them at all," said Jolly Chirayath, convener, Streekoottayma, an organization engaged in women empowerment projects.

Chirayath said most members of the transgender community are not accepted by their family and relatives. They have no option but migrate to other states where even if there is no acceptance, they can at least live peacefully, according to her. "They are so invisible in the state that even an organization like Sreekoottayma started recognizing that there is a third gender only two years ago," she said.

In Kerala, it is difficult for the transgender community to get a house on rent. Their education stops half way through. An ID card or ration card is out of the question. To earn a living, some members of the transgender community are forced to become sex workers.

The story of Lilly (name changed), a transgender and a sex worker, is a case in point. The agency that tried to rehabilitate her found out that she was good in sewing. Today, she runs her own tailoring centre and her clients include Malayalam film stars.

Such success stories are rare. The hostility of people and indifference of the state are daunting. "We were called by the State Social Justice Department for a discussion on the policy paper on gender rights and equality," said Cheloor. "But their paper did not have even a word about the third gender."

Sahayatrika, incidentally, was born after a newspaper report on the suicide of two young girls was published. Its founder, Deepa Vasudevan was in Canada for many years.

When she came to Kerala she found that there is a lack of awareness among the people about the LGBT community. "Promoting public awareness on all aspects relating to the LGBT community is one of the objectives of Sahayatrika," she said. The Kochi rally could be the first big step in that direction.